Principal's Message

Dear Shawnee Parents and Students,

I hope all of you are having a great summer! I want to take this opportunity to express how excited I am to be the new principal of Shawnee Elementary School. I feel fortunate to be a part of this wonderful and exciting school environment. I am looking forward to working with each of you this school year!

Let me share some information about my educational background and professional experience. After graduating from Xenia High School, I attended Mount Vernon Nazarene University. While at MVNU, I studied early childhood education and became involved in various educational experiences. After receiving my bachelor’s degree in education, I attended Antioch University Midwest where I earned a Master of Education degree in Educational Leadership. I began my professional career in the Xenia Community School district. For the past 5 years, I served as a second grade teacher at McKinley Elementary School. During the 2010-2011 school year, I was the Data Specialist for the School Improvement Grant at McKinley. While at McKinley in 2010, I earned my Ohio Principal Licensure through Antioch University Midwest. For the past 4 years I served on the McKinley Building Leadership Team, and for the past year I served on the District Leadership Team. During the 2011-2012 school year, I was the second grade representative to develop the Language Arts pacing guide for the Common Core State Standards. Shawnee will be my first principal position, and I am extremely excited to be given this opportunity to work with all of you!

On a personal level, I have had a busy summer so far! I married Tonya Bratka on July 12 at Polen Farm in Kettering. Tonya is currently a second grade teacher at McKinley Elementary School. I am proud to now be a step-father to A.J., who is six years old and Adella, who is 4 years old. A.J. will be entering first grade at McKinley, and Adella will be entering Pre-K at Memorial Preschool. I was born and raised in Xenia, and I am very proud to be able to work in the Xenia schools. I enjoy playing golf, flag football, and softball. I carry several allegiances, including a love for the Reds, Bengals, and of course, the Buckeyes!

As I make this transition to Shawnee, I look forward to getting to know all of you and building a positive school environment! I have heard many great things about the students, parents, and staff at Shawnee. I know many of your faces, but I look forward to meeting you and getting to know you better. Please feel free to e-mail me at spoole@xenia.k12.oh.us or call me anytime at (937) 372-6461. I welcome all of you to stop by Shawnee and introduce yourself. I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer, and I look forward to seeing all of you soon!